RNA – In an interview with Rasa News Agency, Hujjat al-Islam Ahmad Sha’bani, the director-general of the Department for Dispatching Missionaries of Iran’s Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization, explained that the issue of Islamic unity is one of the fundamental issues of Islam and is addressed explicitly in the Holy Quran explicitly – “Hold fast, all together, to the rope of God and do not be divided [into sects]” [3:103]. This was practice and tradition of the infallible Imams and their lives were based on this issue.
He added that the enemies have always sought to create a rift among the Islamic ummah and hasn’t spared any effort to fragment the Islamic ummah did not spare any effort. In the past, they’ve created deviant sects in the hearts of our Sunni brothers, such as Wahhabism, which is not compatible with the spirit of Islam. “Currently, Takfiri groups, like ISIL, commit crimes in the name of the Islamic ummah, using the slogan ‘there is no god but God,’” he said.
The member of the Assembly of Representatives of the Islamic Seminary said that one of the main tasks of our missionaries is to create unity among Muslims in accordance with the previously mentioned verse of the Holy Quran, saying: “Sunni and Shi’a Muslims in Iran live together with complete empathy, love and kindness and this has been a problem for our enemies and it has been difficult for them to bear.”
Hujjat al-Islam Sha’bani explained that when the enemies witness the unity and compassion among Muslims, they strive to sow discord between Sunnis and Shi’as. Thus, the clergy have a duty to stand against the enemies’ activities and missionaries must discuss the issue of Islamic unity and create love and unity among Islamic schools of thought as much as possible.
He said that that the roots of the conflicts among the Islamic ummah are rooted in British colonialism, who had specific plans to sow discord and dissension among Muslims by selecting Muslim individuals with specific characteristics to carry out their programs.
His Eminence said that the late Imam Ruhollah Khomeini stressed that those to seek to create dissension among Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, are not Sunni nor Shi’a. Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat said that if someone is against Islamic unity, he is not a Muslim. “Thus, another duty that we need is insight,” he said.
Hujjat al-Islam Sha’bani pointed that once we realize that that the goal of the enemies is to propagate dissension among Muslims, we must transfer this knowledge to others and not allow the enemies to reach their goals. This is especially the duty of seminarians and clerics.
He said that the role of some media and internet-based networks in regard to the propagation of dissension should not be ignored, saying such networks are more comprehensive than ever before. Previously, these networks sought to propagate dissension between Sunnis and Shi’as but now they have started propagating dissension within Sunnis and Shi’as themselves.
In conclusion, Hujjat al-Islam Sha’bani said that if insight is propagated by Sunni and Shi’a preachers the Islamic ummah, certainly, they can prevent much of the dissension among Muslims.
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